Water Main Break Latest Setback For Storm-Socked Dune Rd.

HAMPTON BAYS, NY — It's another setback for storm-socked Dune Road — this time, in the form of a water main break.

According to a release from Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman's office, the Hampton Bays Water District is working to repair a sizable break in the water main pipe that supplies the east end of Dune Road near the Shinnecock commercial dock. The 8-inch main runs 15-ft. underwater from the north side to the south side of the Old Ponquogue Bridge, the release said.

As a result of the break, Sundays on the Bay is temporarily closed; Oaklands had already closed for the season, except for special events, the release said. A temporary pipe has been put in place, and is undergoing testing, officials said.

The water district anticipates being able to put the temporary pipe online by Friday, allowing Sundays on the Bay to re-open, the supervisor said. The repairs to the main pipe will be made over the next few weeks, depending on weather and availability of parts, he added.

The water district had the damage inspected by a diver from East End Dive Services who determined that the pipe had been damaged by a passing vessel on Monday morning, Schneiderman said.

Cost estimates for the repair should be determined by the end of the week.

Dune Rd. has been hit hard by severe flooding in the area near the Shinnecock commercial fishing dock in recent weeks and is the focus of ongoing remediation efforts.